Albert hochstrasser



(No Model.)

A. HOOHSTRASSER. GRooVBD RAILzoLBANER.

No. 594,349. 'Patented' Nov. 23, 1897.

UNITEDl STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT HOCHSTRASSER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PETER BUCHHEIT, OF SAME PLACE. A

GRoovED-RA'IL CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,349, dated November 23, 1897.

Application filed March 19, 1897.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT HocHsrRAssnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grooved-Rail Cleaners, of which the following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a section on line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view looking at the bottom of the cartimbers. Fig. 3 is a section of a grooved rail, showing how the rear plow fits the groove. Fig. 4 is a plan View looking at the bottom of front plow.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved method for removing the dirt from the'grooved rail now so generally used by street-railways.

The invention consists of a exible piece A, attached to the bar B, which in turn is s'ecured to the timbers C of the car by the straps D D2. The lower end of the flexible piece A has two plows E and E2, attached in such a manner that'they can be readily removed. The forward plow E is for the purpose of loosening-up the accumulation of dirt, and the rear plow E2 is for the purpose of removing the dirt from the groove.

Fig. 1 shows how the device is operated when the car is running on a straight track. W'hen the car arrives at a switch or curve, it is desirable to raise the plows E'and E2 from the groove, which is accomplished in the following manner: The lower end of the rod F is attached to the iieXible piece A at the point G. The upper end of the rod passes through the brace I, which acts as a stop and support for the rod F. The eXtreme upper part of the rod F is connected with the lever H, which is a part of the shaft K. The shaft K has two levers, one at each end, (marked H.)

In the center of the shaft K is another lever L, to the lower end of which is connected the rod M. The forward end of the rod M is at- Serial No. 628,316. (No model.)

tached to the vertical piece of bell-crank N, which is secured to the shaft O, which is sup'- plied with suitable bearings P P2. The horizontal arm of the bell-crank has a vertical rod Q attached to its extreme end. When the motorman wishes to elevate the plows E and E2 ifrom the groove in the rail, he places his foot on the rod Q and presses down on it. That causes the bell-crank to turn, which pulls the rod M forward, which in turn causes the shaft K to turn through the agency of the lever L. The revolving of the shaft K also causes the end of the lever H attached to the rod F to be elevated, thereby raising the rod E, which in turn raises the iexible piece A, and, as the plows E and E2 are attached to the flexible piece A, they are raised also. To assist in forcing the plows down in the vgroove of the rail, an additional spring R is placed between the flexible piece A and the brace I.

The entire device is placed on the forward part of the car ahead of all the wheels. To make it convenient of removal, the bar B is attached to the timbers of the car by means of the straps D D2. The back end of the bar B has a shoulder T. The front end has no shoulder and will pass through the strap D2 a distance and is held in position `by the lagscrew U. When it is desired to remove the groove-cleaning device, it is accomplished as follows: The lag-screw U is removed, the lever H disconnected from the rod F, the bar B pushed forward through the strap D2 until the rear end of the bar B is disengaged from the strap D, when the back end is lowered and the bar B put back until it is free from the strap D2.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination in a grooved-rail-cleaning device, of two plows, the forward plow for loosening the dirt, the rear plow for removing the dirt from the groove and top of rail, the two plows attached to a flexible bar and also supplied with a spring to force the plows into the groove and down on top of the rail, the two plows also being attached to in of the groove in the rail :uid top of rail, subsuitable device for raising and lowering the stantially as set forth.

plows, the iiexible piece, A, attached to Jche 1 r1 i Y 1 m bar, B, which is secured to the timbers of ALBERI HOLHSlRAbbER' the car in such :L manner as to be quickly :Lt- \Vit1iesses: tached and detached to and from the car, the MILTON M. BIRD, form of the rear plow to coliform to the shape GEORGE MOESTA. 

